One more chance Pt 5
by Melandra
Summary: Part 5 of my One more Chance series, Psylocke gets a second chance at life but it is not what she expects.


The event brought her down somewhat. Betsy never thought she would cry over a man but Warren had been her light for these long and difficult months. The one thing she had been hanging on to. She was not expecting him to wait for her. She knew he thought she was dead. Heck...everyone that knew her thought she was dead but she just did not expect him to move on so quickly. To already be in the arms of another girl. A girl ten years his junior even.  
  
Betsy was a strong lady however. She managed to go grocery shopping after work, trying to push the image of Warren and Paige on the television to the back of her mind. If she was not trying to preoccupy her mind from thoughts of them, she might have realized that Warren and Paige were right here in London, probably seeing the same night sky as her when she looked up and she could probably approach Warren without the need to earn money for an air ticket back to the United States. But she was too distracted by this heart wrenching pain in her chest to think clearly. She also bought uncharacteristic items along with her regular grocery. She did not even realize that until she was paying for the stuff at the counter. She had bought half a dozen six-packs of beer and a whole bunch of junk food. Somewhere in the back of her mind, her rationality told her that she could not afford this. Not if she wanted to save for that ticket back to New York but another part of her ignored that voice of rationality and paid for the items. After purchasing the stuff, she hurried home, nearly losing control but managing to hold back her sobs until she reached the tiny, dinghy one-room apartment that she could just barely afford. Inside the privacy of the place which she now called home, her tears fell uncontrollably. The image of Warren, no the concept of Warren waiting for his true love which was her was what had spurred her on. Betsy prided herself on practicality. She was never one for mooning over romantic fantasies or pipedreams. However, Warren was neither. They had shared a real and tangible bond, a relationship that lasted for the past two years. True, Warren had initiated the break up during Christmas however, she was perfectly certain even without her telepathy that he did still love her. He felt that she valued her freedom more than him which in a way was true before but death usually puts one priorities into perspective. She had wanted to live life to the fullest. That was what she told Neal the night before her death and she now knew what that fullness of life was. She had gotten a glimpse of it the day she died. Her possible future with Warren. However, all that was gone. She was trapped in a body not her own and nobody knew she was still alive. Warren too, had moved on in life.  
  
The tears fell repeatedly as she wept in self-pity. The practical part of her was amazed that she possessed that much self-pity and was yelling at her to stop this nonsense, get off her ass and do something about getting her man back while the other part was actually enjoying wallowing in this pity party.  
  
Temptation was there too. She tore open the packets of chips and started stuffing her mouth, washing it down with can after can of beer, with tears falling down her cheeks. Somewhere, she knew she was destroying much of her own hard work, but right now, she just could not give a damn. Soon her bout of binging was sated and she settled down into a fitful sleep.  
  
In her dreamscape, she met Spiral smirking away. "What are you doing here?" Betsy nearly growled at her. Spiral was one of the last people she ever wanted to see her this way.  
  
"How could I not come and watch the great Psylocke fall?" she smirked.  
  
"I am no longer Psylocke." Betsy spat out.  
  
"Oh yes. I noticed. The Psylocke I knew definitely would not have taken that blow sitting down." Spiral taunted.  
  
Betsy was already very upset but Spiral's taunting was making her angry. She had the urge to lash out at her and thought and action in the dreamscape became one. Her hand moved to give Spiral a slap but Spiral was just as fast, grasping her hand tightly before it could reach her. Although she continued to grin in a taunting manner, her voice was cold and serious. "Do not think the gift of the Crimson Dawn was given easily. It was given and it can be taken away. Why do you think you were picked for this gift? The Crimson does not just give everyone a second chance to live. Psylocke was one who celebrated life. She enjoyed living. She made the best use of her given time and lived to the fullest. Do you see the pattern here? Only people, who deserve it, receive it. You however, are falling short of such expectations."  
  
"Who are you to speak for the Crimson Dawn or its Guardian?" Betsy sneered, trying to hide her wince as Spirals grip was hurting her.  
  
Spiral smirked and let her go. "Gomurr sent me. Surprised? Gomurr's a coward. He didn't think he could give you, the 'Great Psylocke', 'the Talk'."  
  
"What talk?" Betsy asked, her heart beating faster. Gomurr knew who she was. Wolverine knew Gomurr. She had some hope after all.  
  
At this, Spiral leaned in close to her face, making her shift backwards but she found that she couldn't. Apparently a wall had suddenly appeared behind her in the dreamscape. "If you don't shape up, the gift expires..." Spiral snarled gleefully "and Psylocke's second chance at life goes..." with that, Spiral snaps her fingers at her ears.  
  
And Betsy suddenly sits up on her bed in a cold sweat, her shirt plastered to her back. The dream had felt so real. She looked at her hand and noticed the marks where Spiral had held her in the dream. So, it was real? The gift of life could be taken back? She wanted to be defiant. Whoever told Gomurr to give her another life. Who asked him to play God? Maybe she wanted to remain dead because it was her turn to die anyway. Nobody asked her what she wanted.  
  
She chided herself mentally for these thoughts. She knew that if consulted, she would have definitely grabbed onto a second chance at life. She had never been one to hide during times of difficulty nor was she one who soughs to escape trials and obstacles in her life. She had always been one who was willing to bravely step where none has treaded before and consequences be damned. She was a headstrong woman who was never one to back down from challenges.  
  
In a sense, Betsy Braddock was as much Elizabeth Keller as Elizabeth Keller was Betsy Braddock. The first time when she had swapped bodies with Kwannon, her psyche had mixed with Kwannon's that was why she retained Kwannon's ninja abilities and carried over her own psychic abilities and why Kwannon had her psychic abilities and carried over her ninja skills. If this bodyswapping was the same as the one before, she reasoned that she should still be able to access her psychic powers, nevermind that the ninja skills belonged to Kwannon's body, however, she would also retained Elizabeth Keller's weakness for booze, junk food and inertness. That could also explain the uncharacteristic self-pity and romantic dreams of a knight in shining armour. Betsy had always considered herself independent. So, was this really hers or Elizabeth Keller's behavior? Was Elizabeth Keller living through her as she lived through her body? Food for thought. She had actually never thought of it before when Kwannon and her had switched bodies. But then, she had not known, until Revanche showed up. Now, she knew from the start because Spiral was there to rub it in her face. Betsy decided to try to see if her telekinesis still remained. By rights, it should, according to her previous experience. She tried to raise the can of beer set before her. She tried very hard but to no avail. Betsy shook her head to clear it. She could mull over this some other time. Maybe the Professor could figure out what happened to her powers but this would be later. The meeting with Spiral had given her a small glimmer of hope. There was still one person from the X-family that she could seek out that could believe her predicament. Logan. 


End file.
